Disposable tobacco cartridge with tamper

ABSTRACT

A disposable tobacco cartridge for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacoo and then tamping it. A piston is combined with a hollow paper cylinder secured near one end thereof and projecting beyond it and defining a hollow space filled with a charge of tobacco. The piston is provided with an outer end that is pressed for moving the piston and an inner end, and it has a cylindrical wall with a diameter less than that of the bowl of the pipe to be filled. The flexible wrapping makes a cylinder approximately the same diameter as the piston. It has two diametrically opposite portions that are secured to the wall of the piston near the inner end of the piston. The wrapping provides a hollow cylindrical space that extends beyond the piston for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of the piston and at its distal end the wrapping has a folded-over closure. When the cartridge is properly held and the piston pushed, it ejects the tobacco through a folded closure. Then the piston is used as a tamper for the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe.

United States Patent 11 1 Kim [ DISPOSABLE TOBACCO CARTRIDGE WITH TAMPER [76] lnventor: Jung An Kim, 12 Chenery St., San

Francisco, Calif. 94131 [22] Filed: June 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 265,265

Primary Examiner.loseph S. Reich Attorney-Robert E. Wickersham 57 ABSTRACT A disposable tobacco cartridge for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco and then tamping it. A piston is combined with a hollow paper cylinder secured near one end thereof and projecting beyond it and defining a hollow space filled with a charge of tobacco. The piston is provided with an outer end that is pressed for moving the piston and an inner end, and it has a cylindrical wall with a diameter less than that of the bowl of the pipe to be filled. The flexible wrapping makes a cylinder approximately the same diameter as the piston. It has two diametrically opposite portions that are secured to the wall of the piston near the inner end of the piston. The wrapping provides a hollow cylindrical space that extends beyond the piston for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of the piston and at its distal end the wrapping has a folded-over closure. When the cartridge is properly held and the piston pushed, it ejects the tobacco through a folded closure. Then the piston is used as a tamper for the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DISPOSABLE TOBACCO CARTRIDGE WITH TAMPER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper and is generally used for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco and for tamping the tobacco in the pipe bowl.

Heretofore, pipes have usually been filled directly from a pouch, can, or other package. This has required care during filling and has been likely to result in tobacco particles falling outside the bowl of the pipe. The procedure is messy and necessitates the users carrying a large amount of tobacco with him when he may need only one or two bowlsfull for even an extended period. It is also inconvenient for the pipe smoker to have to carry some sort of device for tamping the tobacco in the bowl.

Some approach has been made to this problem in the past. For example, the McCutcheon U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,676 shows a disposable tobacco cartridge, but this one requires a special pipe and requires the removing ofa closure from one end. Moreover, the unit is intended to be used in a manner that causes the finger of the user to have to extend deep down inside a tube.

It is desired in the present invention to provide a structure which is inexpensive and easily disposable and which provides the maximum of convenience to the user. It provides both for the filling of the pipe and for the tamping of the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe upon filling. It requires no removal of any closure member but simply provides an automatic opening of the cartridge on urging a piston to expel the charge of tobacco. It avoids the messiness of filling the pipe, makes it possible to fill pipes and to tamp the tobacco without touching the tobacco particles directly with the fingers, and enables the smoker to carry only a few cartridges with him instead of having to carry a large supply of tobacco. The device also makes it unnecessary to carry any other tamping device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper of this invention comprises a piston, a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping, and a charge of tobacco. The piston is provided with an outer end that is pressed for moving the piston and an inner end, and it has a cylindrical wall with a diameter less than that of the bowl of the pipe to be filled. The flexible wrapping makes a cylinder approximately the same diameter as the piston and has two diametrically opposite portions that are secured to the wall of the piston near the inner end of the piston.

The wrapping provides a' hollow cylindrical space that extends beyond the piston for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of the piston and at its distal end the wrapping has a folded-over closure. A charge of particulate tobacco fills the hollow cylindrical space between the piston and the closure.

In use, the closure end is placed in a pipe bowl, and the cartridge is held by two diametrically opposite portions near the securement, and then the outer end of the piston is forced toward the closure end of the wrapping. This easily ruptures the securement and the piston transmits its force to the tobacco to open the closure and then ejects the tobacco from the cartridge by further movement of the piston. Finally, the piston, upon coming to the end of the charge, may be used to tamp the tobacco firmly into the bowl. Then, during the course of smoking the piston may again, from time to time, be used for tamping. v

The piston may be made of styrofoam or paperboard, coated with metal foil, and the flexible wrapping may be formed of waxed paper.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawing: 1 FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a disposable to bacco cartridge and tamper embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 showing the wrapping mostly flattened out and revealing the charge of tobacco.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the blank from which the wrapping is made.

FIG. 4 is aview in perspective of the piston which serves both as a plunger and as a tamper for the tobacco.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing how the device is used in conjunction with a pipe and illustrating in phantom the hands of the user with the charge partially ejected and the pipe broken open to show the position of the cartridge and of the ejected tobacco.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a disposable cartridge 10 embodying the principles of the invention. It is a cylindrical member of a diameter suitable for partial insertion into a pipe bowl and is made up of three main elements: a piston 11, a hollow cylindrical wrapping 12,- and a charge 13 of tobacco shown in FIG. 2. These parts cooperate together to hold the tobacco in a convenient form before use, to provide for its ejection directly into a pipe bowl, and to provide for tamping the tobacco in the bowl.

The piston 11 may be a simple solid cylinder of foamed polystyrene covered with'metal foil. Alternatively, it may be a paper cylinder covered with metal foil. Other forms are possible, a basic objective being to achieve a smooth cylindrical piston with closed end walls able to exert the force required of the plunger to eject the tobacco and still being inexpensive enough to be practical; the metal foil covers the piston, especially near the ends, so that the polystyrene or paper core is protected from burning when the piston 11 is used as a tamper while the tobacco is burning. As shown in the drawings, the cylinder has an outer'end 14 and an inner end 15, the outer end being the end contacted by the finger when ejecting tobacco and the inner end 15 serving as a plunger force to eject the tobacco.

The wrapping 12 may be of paper, but is preferably -made of a lubricated surface material, such as waxed paper, or at least glossy paper. Preferably, it is made of a flat blank, as shown in FIG. 3. There is a generally rectangular body portion 16 having a straight longitudinal edge 17 and a second longitudinal edge 18 which is provided on one surface with a suitable adhesive 19 that is used to seal the package after the inclusion of the tobacco. At one end the portion 12 is provided with a closure 20 made up of a series of cuts that are folded over, providing four tab portions 21, 22, 23', and 24 shown in FIG. 3. There is no need to use any adhesive to hold this closure together if it is properly made, but that may be done if desired. Normally, it is not desired because by simply closing the ends over, a sufficient containment is provided and the closure is then very easily forced open. I

At the opposite end from the closure 20 the wrapping 12 is preferably provided with a pair of generally triangular portions 25 and 26 which extend longitudinally and have apices 27 and 28 that are provided with a suitable adhesive 30. The adhesive provides enough bonding force to hold the cylinder 12 onto the piston 11 as shown in FIG. 1, through it may be ruptured when the piston is used. Preferably, at the base of the two triangular portions circular areas 31 and 32 are marked or defined as by large dots of that size or at least by outline. These indicate the best location for the fingers when the tobaccois to be ejected.

The charge 13 of tobacco is from any suitable type of pipe tobacco and in this case the tobacco particles are compacted together in some suitable manner during the manufacture of the cartridge and the strip making up the cylinder 12 is folded over and secured to itself by the adhesive 19 and secured to the piston 11 by the two adhesive portions 30 which lie diametrically opposite each other. This means of course that the portions '31 and 32 also lie diametrically opposite each other. The tobacco 13 is thus fully enclosed.

A number of these units may be packaged in a box or other container and the box may be sealed with cellophane or other suitable material for keeping the material in a good state of preservation until use. A small number of cartridges are used so they will be used up in a short time and there is therefore no need to have them be sealed hermetically tight.

For use, a user takes one of the cartridges, places the closure 20 into the bowl 36 of his pipe 35 and a portion of the cylinder in it and then holds the device by the two circular portions 31 and 32, pressing inwardly on the piston. Then he pushes with a fingeron the outer end 14 of the piston 11 and this moves the members 11 and 12 relatively to each other, crumpling the portions 25 and 26 at first. The two portions 31 and 32 are not too tight to prevent this movement, and further pressure starts ejecting the tobacco, first opening the closure 20 by the. pressure transmitted through the tobacco and then, when the closure 20 is open, actually ejecting the tobacco 13 into the pipe bowl 36. Also the adhesive bond 30 usually gets ruptured eventually. As it fills the pipe bowl 36, the cartridge may be lifted somewhat and when the piston 11 reaches the end of its stroke and has ejected all the tobacco, it is used for tamping the tobacco in place, as it may later be used again.

The ejection operation crumples the cylinder 12 on itself, as the wrapping is flexible. This is of course quite convenient, and in fact makes the package somewhat smaller upon disposal. lf the smoker desires to have the tamper 1] ready for use intermediate the filling of the tobacco and the full consumption thereof, he can throw away the wrapping l2 separately from the piston 11,

' retaining the piston 11 for this tamping action. The piston 11 can be used for tamping while the tobacco burns, because the metal foil protects the core from being burned.

As an example of what may be done, the longitudinal length of the wrapping 12 from one end to the other of the open blank, as shown in FlG. 3, may be about 3-5/16 inches with the length of the rectangular edge 17 about 2-5/16 inches. The width of the portion 16 may be about 1-13/16 inches and the length of each of the generally triangular portions 25 and 26 may be about thirteen-sixteenths of an inch.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco, comprising a piston with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl, a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having two diametrically opposite portions secured to the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapping having its hollow cylinder extending well beyond said inner end for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of said piston and having at its distal end a folded-over closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, said two diametrically opposite portions comprising generally triangular extensions helping to guide said piston during its movement through said cylinder, and

a charge of particulate tobacco filling said space,

whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against said piston,.the outer end of said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the'tobacco is ejected from said cartridge by further movement of said piston, the wrapping being crumpled and then the piston may be used to tamp the tobacco in the bowl.

2. The cartridge of claim] wherein the apices of said generally triangular portions are the only portions secured to said piston and portions near the base of said triangular portions are provided for holding said cylinder during movement of said piston.

3. A disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco, comprising a piston made from styrofoam covered with metal foil with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl,

a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having two diametrically opposite portions secured to the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapping having its hollow cylinder extending well beyond said inner end for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of said piston and having at its distal end a folded-over closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, and

a charge of particulate tobacco filling said space,

whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against I said piston, the outer end of. said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the tobacco is its distal end a folded-over closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, and

a charge of particulate tobacco filling said space,

whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against said piston, the outer end of said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl,

flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the tobacco is ejected from said cartridge by further movement of said piston, the wrapping being crumpled and then two diametrically opposite portions secured to the the Piston y be used to p the mbacco in the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapbOWL ping having its hollow cylinder ext ndi w ll b 5. A tamper for pipe tobacco comprising a cylindrical yond said inner end for a distance somewhat member covered with metal foil. shorter than the length of said piston and having at Patent No. 3,765,423 Dated October 16, 1973 JUNG AN IM Inventor(s) It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Item [76] of heading, the address of the investor given as 12 Chenery Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94131" should read --3l12 Balboa Street, Apta #1, San Francisco, Calif 94121.

Item [56] ReferencesfiCited, third patent listed, "975,025"

should read -975,0 26-- I Column 3, line 12, "through" should read "though";

Signed and sealed this 19th day of February 1974.

(SEAL) Attestz' c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer F ORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM'DC 6375-PB9 N .5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE "I 0-301-884, 

1. A disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco, comprising a piston with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl, a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having two diametrically opposite portions secured to the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapping having its hollow cylinder extending well beyond said inner end for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of said piston and having at its distal end a foldedover closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, said two diametrically opposite portions comprising generally triangular extensions helping to guide said piston during its movement through said cylinder, and a charge of particulate tobacco filling said space, whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against said piston, the outer end of said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the tobacco is ejected from said cartridge by further movement of said piston, the wrapping being crumpled and then the piston may be used to tamp the tobacco in the bowl.
 2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the apices of said generally triangular portions are the only portions secured to said piston and portions near the base of said triangular portions are provided for holding said cylinder during movement of said piston.
 3. A disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco, comprising a piston made from styrofoam covered with metal foil with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl, a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having two diametrically opposite portions secured to the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapping having its hollow cylinder extending well beyond said inner end for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of said piston and having at its distal end a folded-over closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, and a charge of particulate tobacco filling said space, whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against said piston, the outer end of said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the tobacco is ejected from said cartridge by further movement of said piston, the wrapping being crumpled and then the piston may be used to tamp the tobacco in the bowl.
 4. A disposable tobacco cartridge and tamper for filling the bowl of a pipe with tobacco, comprising a piston made of paperboard covered with metal foil with an outer end and an inner end and having a wall with diameter less than that of said bowl, a flexible hollow cylindrical wrapping of approximately the same diameter of said piston and having two diametrically opposite portions secured to the wall of said piston near said inner end, said wrapping having its hollow cylinder extending well beyond said inner end for a distance somewhat shorter than the length of said piston and having at its distal end a folded-over closure to define a hollow cylindrical space between said piston and said closure, and a charge of particulate tobacco filling said spaCe, whereby when said closure is placed in a pipe bowl and diametrically opposite portions of said wrapping near said secured portions are held against said piston, the outer end of said piston can be pressed to move said piston, and as said piston is moved, the pressure transmitted through said tobacco charge opens said closure and the tobacco is ejected from said cartridge by further movement of said piston, the wrapping being crumpled and then the piston may be used to tamp the tobacco in the bowl.
 5. A tamper for pipe tobacco comprising a cylindrical member covered with metal foil. 